Work Burnout

Outnumbering physicians six to one, nurses spend more time with patients and in many ways they are the heart of American health care. And with medical insurance now expanded to cover millions of new patients, the pressure on nurses is growing.

We've launched a dedicated section on The Huffington Post, ReWork: Rethinking Work and Well-being. Here you'll find success stories, news about what's working, innovative programs, case studies and the latest data about the many positive business effects of well-being and sustainable work practices. Since our workplace culture is driving so much of the epidemic of stress we all feel overwhelmed by, it's going to be our workplaces that will accelerate the changes already underway. More and more people are realizing that they don't have to put their humanity on hold when they leave for work, that they're more than their résumés and that a sense of well-being and success doesn't have to come at the cost of burnout. And more and more companies are realizing that investing in their employees' well-being is also good for business.

Professional achievements still mean a lot to me. Success, however, is in the process of being re-defined. Prioritizing my well-being is the lesson I'll be learning for the rest of my life. After all, what is success worth if we're not fully present to enjoy it?

Taking the time to examine what will create sustainable success reveals strategies that can free you from the day-to-day scramble. Or at least make it more manageable. Frantic isn't sustainable, focus is more satisfying.

Some simple steps to take to reclaim your time and energy include setting limits to how long you spend reading and answering email each day. It's also okay to say "no" when others ask too much of your time.

I was burnt out before 25. It was the beginning of my transformation to living life with the understanding that work, love and wellness are connected. So how did I start to live for the long game and not sprint through life like a semester?

It's like trying to run a marathon on no sleep and a twisted ankle, and continuing to do things this way is keeping us from winning victories. We are facing a crisis of planetary proportions. We have got to do better than this.

As I've been out on the road talking about Thrive, one question has been coming up again and again, which is some variation of, "hey, it's OK for you to say 'you don't need to burnout' now that you're already successful, but what about those of us just starting out who want to succeed?" It's a good question -- and it seems like a logical one. But its premise is actually flawed in a number of ways. It is based on the dangerous assumption that overwork and burnout are the only path to professional success. A growing number of scientific studies confirm the profound negative effects of burnout and sleep deprivation on every aspect of our health and performance. Our deluded corporate culture may still congratulate employees for working 24/7, but good ideas are much more valuable to a successful business than exhausted employees. They are the lightning in a bottle everyone is trying to capture.

I'm empathic to those caught in the burnout vortex. I've been in it, and still struggle to not get sucked backed in. I come from good German stock with a work ethic of steel. Even my non-German mother's warning was not enough to sway me 20 years ago.